Entwined Together
by Draco's-Loyal-Longing
Summary: Jack and Kate meet one night in a bar, one going through a divorce, the other just killed her father. Somehow their lives become entwined, and they learn they aren't as different as they once thought.
1. The Meeting

**Entwined Together**

**Summery**: Jack and Kate meet one night in a bar, one going through a divorce, the other just killed her father. Somehow their lives become entwined, and they discover they aren't as different as they thought. Takes place as if there wasn't a crash.

**Chapter One**: The Meeting

* * *

Jack Shepard felt horrible. He probably looked horrible too, as he stumbled out of his car. A couple days after Sarah had left, he had tried his hardest to push her out of his mind. Tried convincing himself that she wasn't worth his time if she didn't think he was worth hers. He always found a thin line back to her with whatever he concentrated on.

The few people he had bothered to tell had attempted to convince him into therapy, but Jack had politely declined. He knew he was fine. This feeling was perfectly normal for those whose spouses cheated on them.

He had driven himself everywhere that was still open in a futile attempt to occupy his mind on anything else besides his ex-wife. Everywhere he went was either closed or didn't distract him enough to feel better.

In the end, he went to the last place he ever expected himself to end up. A bar.

At first he didn't think he would ever get out of his car. Afraid of what he might come face to face with if he went inside. He didn't want to become the man who used alcohol as the solution to all their problems.

But in the end his need to dull the pain was too strong, and he pushed himself out of his car and took one step at a time to the bar he had driven so madly to find.

Inside wasn't too shabby. It looked as though the employees at least attempted to make it clean. Wearily, Jack made his way to the counter in front of the bartender, who was looking at him as though he understood everything that was going through his mind.

"What'll it be?" he asked in a gruff voice. He had a dusty white towel draped over his shoulder, and his dark blue muscle t-shirt was went on one side, obviously the result of spilled beer earlier on in the evening.

"Mint Julep," Jack muttered quietly.

"Mint Julep it is." The bartender turned to prepare Jack's drink.

The bartender handed Jack his drink in silence, but couldn't keep quiet for long.

"So what's your story?" the man asked, leaning against the bar as if he had every right to know.

"My what?" Jack asked irritably after taking a sip.

"What brings you here? Everyone that shows up after seven has a reason, and I'm willing to bet that you're no exception."

"Just something I'm trying to forget," Jack answered in defeat.

Though Jack didn't see, the bartender cracked a nasty smile. "Woman troubles, eh?" Jack looked up in surprise, frowning slightly, but the other man just chuckled. "It's written all over your face. Normally a nice looking man such as yourself wouldn't be caught in here unless it was because of a woman one way or another."

Jack shrugged, trying to find the right words to explain. "We're going through with the divorce, and our hearing or whatever the hell it's called is in a couple days and I…"

"Hey, you don't need to explain it to me. I've been there before already," the man admitted in his gruff voice, then turned to help another customer.

Jack sat drinking his mint julep in silence.

* * *

Kate Austen knew she needed to get off of the streets soon. She had been running the whole day, and was getting tired and hungry. Everything that her father had told her, confessed to her, had finally caught up with her, and she needed to let it go.

Every few miles or so she would find her face staring back at her from a poster hanging from a shop window, or a telephone pole, declaring that she was possibly armed and very dangerous. There was no reward as of yet, something that Kate silently thanked.

She had been searching for someplace to crash until dawn, someplace where she could grab a bite to eat since she hadn't eaten since that morning. She didn't have that much money left, only about two twenties, give or take a few dollars. A restaurant was out of the question. So was a nice hotel. But that was okay. She was perfectly fine with eating at a cheap little diner then paying for a room at some sleazy motel.

The only problem was that there didn't seem to be any places like that around. As Kate looked around at her surroundings, she concluded that she had entered some sort of semi-rich community. Frustrated, she had considered turning back and take her chances on walking for a few more hours in the hopes that she would find a place better suited for her, but her common sense told her that there wasn't any use.

So she had no choice but to continue down her already chosen path. Maybe she would get lucky and find some money lying in the street so that she could at least pass as a normal woman who lived here in style.

But she had no such luck. What she found instead was a bar. Uncle John's Bar, to be exact. Kate wasn't usually one for drinking, but she figured that she could blend in there. Should she be recognized there, she knew that the people who went to bars wouldn't turn her in. Not if there was no reward.

When she walked in, she was a bit surprised to find that there weren't that many people inside. She found it odd since it was a Friday night. But she walked over to the bar instead, two seats away from a man with brown hair, staring into his empty cup, looking as bad as she felt.

The bartender walked over to her slowly, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "Well, what can I get you, darlin'?" he sneered, his arms resting on the counter, leering over her.

"Could I just get some water, please?" she asked, trying to keep the disgust out of her voice.

"Water?" the man looked disappointed in her answer, but complied nonetheless.

The cup wasn't large. Only a bit bigger than a shot glass. Kate downed it with one sip, then signaled for the bartender to bring her another one. "For you, anything," he sneered as he refilled her cup.

Kate rolled her eyes, not bothering to keep her disgust hidden this time. "You know, I get off in half an hour. If you stick around, then maybe you and me could…" he didn't bother to finish the sentence. He reached around and grabbed Kate's arm before it even registered to her what he was doing.

"Hey, what are you…?" she demanded, caught off guard. The man tried to pull her to him, clearly looking for a kiss. Kate tried to pull out of his grasp, but he was too strong for her.

But an unexpected voice interrupted. Unexpected and angry. "Hey, leave her alone!" the other man sitting at the bar was now coming to Kate's defense, giving the sleazy bartender a punch in the eye.

Taken aback, the man released his grip on Kate's arm, and she gratefully took it back, turning to look at the man who had come to her aid. The man wasn't finished, however. He had thrown another punch to the man in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The bartender gasped for air, but the man wasn't finished yet. He kept striking the man, looking as though he was caught in his own little world.

"Hey. Hey! That's enough!" Kate snapped.

The man looked up, and seeing Kate's stunned face, did as she did. He walked over to her, an awkward expression on his face.

"Sorry. I just…I saw him and you…" he stuttered, apparently at a loss for words.

Kate shrugged. "It happens. Thank you, by the way," she replied, giving him a sincerely grateful smile.

"I'm Jack," the man offered, holding out his right hand.

Kate hesitated. Should she give him one of her aliases? There was always the chance that he had seen her face on America's Most Wanted. But then again, she was probably never going to see him again. So….

"Kate," she breathed, extending her own hand.

Jack took it, and they shook, looking into each other's eyes before they pulled away.

"Well, I need to get going," Kate told him, doing her best to sound apologetic that they couldn't stay and talk a little while longer. Truth was, she couldn't tell him much about herself without exposing herself.

"Do you need a place to stay? My house isn't that far," Jack declared.

"No, I have…" but what exactly she did have was something Kate herself didn't know.

"Really, it's no trouble. Just for one night. It can't be any better than any hotel around here. I could get you something to eat too," Jack offered, sounding a tad hopeful.

Kate's stomach let out a groan when he mentioned the word food. She had forgotten just how hungry she had been only a few moments before. They met each other's eye, and shared a laugh.

"I guess that wouldn't hurt. But only one night, I don't want to be a burden," she relented, though she wasn't sure if she wanted to stay only one night. She had only known this man for a few minutes, and already it felt as if they had known each other forever.

Jack laughed. "It's a deal. And for the record," he added, making Kate stop and look back at him, "you won't be a burden."

And with that they walked out of the bar, got into Jack's black Mercedes, and drove away.

* * *

**A/N**: I hope that wasn't too terrible. And I couldn't help myself with Jack's car. I can just see him drive a Mercedes! Please let me know what you think, and I promise I haven't given up with Fragments of Faith! 


	2. Dinner With A Stranger

**Entwined Together**

**Summery**: Jack and Kate meet one night in a bar, one going through a divorce, the other just killed her father. Somehow their lives become entwined, and they discover they aren't as different as they thought. Takes place as if there wasn't a crash.

**Chapter Two: **Dinner With A Stranger

* * *

Jack couldn't be happier that he was leaving the bar. After getting the courage to drink alcohol only hours before he was scheduled to enter the ER, he had found himself getting into a bar fight. A bar fight with the bartender, of all people.

He knew he did the right thing; that was never the issue. Ever since he had offered the brunette a ride and a place to stay, he started to wonder why. Was it because he was looking for revenge after what happened with Sarah? Or was he truly feeling guilty about what happened?

It certainly wasn't his fault that it happened. It wasn't his fault that the guy was a complete creep. It wasn't his fault that the woman who introduced herself as Kate couldn't get out of his grip no matter how hard she tried. He had done the only thing plausible in his mind.

Every so often he would use his peripheral vision to get a better look at Kate without turning his head so that she wouldn't know that he was looking. What he was looking for, he wasn't so sure. She was staring out of her side window, watching as the buildings passed her by. She seemed so interested in everything, as if she were seeing the world for the first time.

Kate turned, probably sensing Jack watching her. She didn't say anything, only blushed slightly and turned away from the window, staring at her lap instead. Jack had a sudden and unexplainable urge to wrap his arm around her and comfort her. Tell her that everything was going to be okay.

What worried Jack the most was the fact that she didn't seem all that jumpy that she had nearly been raped back at the bar. He didn't see any signs of reservation, other than the growing silence building between them, but that was common in people who were meeting each other for the first time.

Jack decided to leave the questions for when they got back to his house which, thankfully, wasn't that far away. He wanted to get her to some food since she looked as though she hadn't had a decent meal in a while, and he wanted to get her to a bed so that she could sleep. Though she was trying to hide it, he could see the dark spots below her eyes, and he thought he saw her stifle a yawn a few seconds before.

"We're here," Jack said quietly so as not to startle the woman. She looked up eagerly, and he watched in slight guilt as she took in the outside of what he considered a lonely home. She obviously hadn't been in town very long if she thought this was amazing. It was only a two story Victorian house with a porch on the second story, and a bright red BMW beside the Mercedes in the driveway.

"Is that your car too?" Kate wondered as she got out, staring at the BMW in clear adoration.

Jack shook his head. "No, that's my…ex's," he settled, hoping Kate wouldn't tell him she was sorry, but he didn't want to appear as one of those stuck-up rich men to her, because he somehow knew that she wouldn't be impressed.

Luckily Kate just nodded, and followed him to the front door. He unlocked it, and opened the white door wide so that she could come inside with him. "Is she here?" Kate wondered, staring at everything around her.

"No, she's with her parents. She's coming back tomorrow to get the last of her stuff, including the car. She won't really mind though…" he kept talking, wanting to fill in the silence and explain away his and Sarah's situation and pass it off as no big deal, but he failed to notice Kate as she turned her attention to the little brown oak table resting against the wall.

The picture was what he and Sarah used to call their 'memory table.' Every time they took a picture of the two of them together, they would buy a frame, and put it on their table so that they could look back on them for years to come. Kate's eyes trailed from a picture a friend must've taken at a lake. Both he and a tall blonde woman were holding up matching five inch fish, smiling into the camera as if they had just accomplished the most magnificent task of all.

She found their wedding photo next. The same blonde woman was wearing a white bridal gown that Kate had only ever imagined in her childhood fantasies of getting married. She had a veil that was pulled back so that the camera could capture her face, and she had a trail of dress flowing at least two feet behind her. She was still holding her bouquet, probably waiting until the picture was taken before throwing it to the bridesmaids. Jack was wearing the standard black suit, only something about it made him stand out even more. He was smiling so sincerely that Kate let out a small smile.

"That was certainly a day to remember," Jack said, interrupting Kate's thoughts. He went to stand beside her and picked up the picture and looked at it though he were remembering something he had long ago forgotten.

"Well, there's still some spaghetti on the stove. I could heat up a plate for you if you like," he breathed, placing his wedding photo back in its proper place, looking forward to a change of subject.

"That would be fine, thanks," Kate said gratefully and trailed him into the kitchen. Jack was busy dishing up a plate, putting as much of the food on as the fancy plate would allow, and slipped it into the microwave.

"Have a seat," Jack signaled for Kate to sit at the dining table resting a good seven feet or so from the kitchen area.

Kate took the chair closest to the door, just in case she needed to make a break for it. She highly doubted that she would, unless this man was a very good liar, but she wanted to be safe anyway.

Jack set the plate in front of her a few minutes later and took the seat directly across from her. Kate took the fork he had handed her and began eating, not taking much notice of how hot the spaghetti was. She knew that eating like she had never eaten anything like this before wasn't exactly letting her keep her cover, but she didn't care at the moment.

"You should slow down before you get sick," Jack made it a point of saying. Kate made an effort to do as he said, but couldn't. It had been too long since she had had a good meal. In fact, she couldn't really remember the last time.

She finished in record time. Jack handed her a glass of water, which Kate took gratefully. She felt considerably better now that she had a full stomach.

"Do you need any more? I've got plenty," Jack offered, concern detectable in his voice.

Kate shook her head. "No, I'm fine, thanks," she said, letting him take her plate and empty glass to the sink.

"I'll show you to the guest room now if you want. You look tired," Jack said as he came back.

Kate nodded. "Okay." She got up and followed him down the hall to the flight of stairs. When they got upstairs he took a right and opened the first door on the left.

"Well, here it is. Do you need a sleep shirt or something?"

"Sure." The moment Jack had opened the door she went immediately for the bed. It had been too long since she had slept in one that she felt like if she closed her eyes for just a second she would be out cold and never wake up. She almost wished it would happen.

But Jack returned with one of his too large t-shirts that he knew he would never wear again. He smiled in amusement when he saw his guest sprawled out on the bed, taking no notice at Jack's arrival.

"Kate?" he questioned, not entirely sure if she was awake or not. She responded quickly to her name and jumped up as though forgetting where she was.

"Here. You can keep it if you want. My room is just a couple doors down. If you need anything else just come in and ask. Okay?"

Kate nodded. "Okay," she agreed, and Jack gave her a quick goodnight smile as he left, closing the door behind him.

The t-shirt went just above her knees, the perfect size to sleep in, she decided. The realization that she was about to fall asleep in a stranger's house suddenly caught up with her, and it felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She didn't know Jack. He was nice enough, and had come to her defense when she was sure no one else would, but what did she really know about him?

He was married, for one. What would his wife, or ex-wife say if she knew that he had let some strange woman crash for the night?

She wasn't doing herself any favors by just standing around thinking about it. Where the hell else was she going to go? It was either sleep in Jack's house where she could hypothetically get something to eat before she hit the road again, or keep walking until she could find some motel.

With that thought in mind, she climbed into the bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

A/N: Thanks bunches to **helaluvE, Spiral Static, jimmy-barnes-13, Orlando-crazy, Foxy4ever, Bryana, CrAzYhOrSeGIRL88, Marauders-playgirl **for reviewing, your input means a lot! Don't forget to drop me a line! 


	3. Why Can't You Stay?

**Entwined Together**

**Summery**: Jack and Kate meet one night in a bar, one going through a divorce, the other just killed her father. Somehow their lives become entwined, and they discover they aren't as different as they thought. Takes place as if there wasn't a crash.

**Chapter Three: **Why Can't You Stay?

XXX

The sound of angry voices woke Kate up the next morning. At first she had forgotten where she was and thought for one horrible moment that she had finally been caught was in prison. But then she looked at her surroundings and breathed a sigh of relief. She was still at Jack's house.

"…this is still my house…!" an unfamiliar woman's voice carried upstairs.

"She needed a place to stay!" Jack retorted, matching the woman's angry tone.

"And that justifies letting a total stranger into _our _house? Jack, you don't know anything about her!" the woman pleaded, but Kate could hear the disgust as well.

"Sarah, please don't…"

Kate could hear footsteps coming up the stairs, and just knew what was going to happen next. And she was right as she watched the door to her temporary room burst open, the woman from Jack's wedding picture standing in front of her, fuming. She was looking at Kate with an expression of utmost hate and, looking down, she realized why.

She was still wearing Jack's t-shirt, and nothing else. She could feel herself blush watching the woman she now knew was Sarah.

Behind Sarah, Jack was just standing in the hallway, watching the scene in front of him unfold.

"I-I'm sorry…" Kate managed to get out, and Jack watched with limited view as she turned her back on Sarah, walking to the corner where she had stored the clothes she had worn yesterday.

Luckily, Sarah walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. "You had no right to do that!" Jack snapped as they went back downstairs.

Sarah whipped around so fast that her hair brushed Jack's face. "And you had no right bringing her here without consulting me! It's still my damn house too!" she snarled.

Jack followed her downstairs, and could only watch as the woman gathered her things in a mad attempt to get away. "Call me later, when _she's _out of here!" she ordered, almost daring him to say something else.

Jack didn't show any signs of hearing her, but Sarah knew that he had heard her. Without another word she practically threw herself out the door, and Jack admitted to himself that he wasn't sorry to see her go. Again.

Why the hell was she so upset that he had let a woman stay the night? After all, wasn't _she_ the one who cheated on _him_? He walked past the table with the pictures and went back upstairs, desperate to try to explain to Kate just what had happened. As if she couldn't have guessed just by listening to them.

He knocked on Kate's door softly as a warning to her that he was about to come in. "Kate?" he let out gently.

He opened the door a crack, ready for her to snap at him that she was changing and that he needed to get out. But she didn't. Instead he saw her madly running her fingers through her hair in an attempt to brush it and make it look more manageable.

"Kate, she…"

"Don't. I understand. I mean, she's still your wife, it's still her house. I had no right imposing on you," Kate brushed it away as though it were nothing. As though it was her fault.

"You aren't imposing. Don't ever think that. You needed a place to stay, and I had a place. If she can't understand that, then it's her problem," Jack said desperately, hoping that Kate could see the truth in this.

It didn't look as though she heard him. "I should go," she muttered, though it was more to herself than to him.

"Go where?" Jack demanded.

When Kate didn't respond, Jack sighed, going for a different approach. "I made some coffee. Why don't you just stay for a few more hours, have some breakfast, and I'll drive you to wherever you're going," he offered, pleading with her.

"Okay," she agreed softly, and Jack almost wondered if he hadn't just imagined her saying that, but when he looked into her eyes, he knew she had said it.

Jack didn't bother to hide his smile. "Hope you like pancakes," he said with a smile, glad to watch the tension disappear.

Kate smiled. "I do," she assured him as they went downstairs and into the kitchen. She sat down in the same chair she had the previous night, somehow knowing that Jack would decline her help if she had offered it. He brought two empty plates to the table along with the butter and syrup, then went back for the stack of pancakes that sat on another plate.

He set them down in between them. "Help yourself. How do you like your coffee?" he asked as he went over to the pot.

"One cream, two sugars," she replied automatically. Jack came back with two mugs filled to the brim, then gathered himself some food. For a while they ate in silence, the only sound to be heard was the occasional clink of a fork hitting the plate.

Kate tried to eat as fast as she could without making Jack suspicious. He had been nothing but nice to her ever since she had practically set foot in that bar, coming to her defense, offering her a place to stay even though he didn't know her, cooking more of his food just so she could have some. She was starting to feel guilty.

That was why she couldn't stay longer than she already had. No matter how courteous he had been towards her, she knew that the second he saw her face staring back at him from one of those wanted posters that he wouldn't feel the same way. He'd do the right thing because he was a good person. Yeah, he might feel guilty about it, but he'd feel good about it too, because he would look at the situation, and feel like he had done her a favor.

"Kate?" Jack's voice jolted her from her reverie.

She didn't answer him. Instead she looked up and stared into his eyes.

For a minute Jack didn't reply. They only stared into each other's eyes, wanting what the other had. Both taking comfort in what the other offered. But Kate was the one to break away first.

"I should get going," she stated, no emotion in her voice.

Jack nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll drive you wherever you need to go," he offered, but Kate shook her head.

"No, I don't want to impose any more than I already have…"

"And I told you that you aren't imposing. You shouldn't have to walk, it's no big deal. What's the problem?" he asked, a hint of impatience could be heard in his voice.

Kate glared at him defiantly before looking away. "Okay."

Jack smiled, as if he had won a small victory, and took their empty plates to the sink so he could wash them later.

Kate downed the rest of her coffee, not caring if it burned her tongue and throat on the way down.

"Do you need some food for the road? Just in case…?" Jack let the question hang in the air, knowing she wouldn't agree.

"No, I have money. I can grab something later," Kate lied, standing up and walking out of the room in a clear sign that she was ready to leave.

Jack sighed in defeat. Why was it that he somehow knew she was lying? She didn't have money, and she sure as hell didn't have enough to buy enough to keep her healthy. He was worried about her, and hoped that he had showed that enough to get her to stay long enough to get her what she needed.

But Kate was a grown woman, and nothing he could say or do would convince her to stay with him until she could afford to leave him. He couldn't just force her to stay with him.

So he had no choice but to grab his car keys from the key rack he had built back when he had first purchased the house. He walked as slow as possible getting out to the car. Kate was standing by the passenger's side, her arms crossed, waiting for him to come out.

He unlocked the car without another word and they both got in. He started the car and drove away from his house, in the direction of the busy city of Los Angeles.

"So do you have any idea where you're going?" Jack asked gently, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I'm going to try to get a job. You know, in case things become more long-term," Kate replied, grateful for the conversation.

"I can check you into a hotel. Not the moldy, dirty ones, but a good one, with a clean shower and one with room service," Jack offered.

"No, really…"

"I can take the bill. I insist. Look, if you aren't going to stay with me, then at least let me make it so I don't have to worry about you," he admitted, not exactly sure why he had said that.

But he was glad he did. "I'll pay you back," she insisted, turning to look at him as though challenging him to say no to that.

But, to her surprise, he nodded. "That's fine. But take your time. I'm not going anywhere," he replied, giving her a half smile with his eyes still on the road.

Kate nodded. "Okay."

They let the music fill the silence, and it wasn't until Jack pulled into the lot of an Embassy Suites that they spoke up again. "Well, let's do this," Jack said a little coldly, making Kate turn to look at him, but he was out of the car before she could even turn around.

He was already heading into the lobby, walking a little fast, and Kate had to job to keep up with him. The man behind the counter smiled up at them. "Hello, welcome to Embassy Suites. What can I do for you today?"

"I need a room," Jack said obviously.

The man nodded. "Do you have a reservation?"

"No."

The man nodded, and typed into his computer, looking for a spare room. Jack held his breath, almost hoping that the man would tell them that they didn't have anything, but he knew that if that was the case that she would insist upon going somewhere else.

But, luckily, the man nodded. "What's the name, sir?"

"Kate…," he said, but realized that he didn't know her last name.

"Ryan," he jumped in, not wanting to make this man apprehensive, though feeling slightly guilty about lying to Jack. But there was always the chance that this man recognized her, or that the authorities came in here and questioned the employees about whether she was here or not.

But the man just nodded. "Okay, Miss Ryan. You'll be staying in room 430. Here's your key. Do you need anything else?"

Jack and Kate both shook their heads. "No. Thank you," Jack said, then handed Kate her key, along with something else.

"Here's my card. It has my office number as well as my home number, plus the address to the hospital. If you need anything, you call. Okay?"

"Okay, dad," Kate joked, but looking into his worried eyes, knew that it wasn't the right time.

"Promise me!" Jack pleaded, sounding on the verge of tears.

Kate's smile disappeared. "I promise," she said, taking the card.

Her words didn't seem to make Jack's worry go away. "Well, bye Kate. And good luck," he said, holding out his right hand as a gesture that he was sincerely sorry to see her go.

Kate accepted the hand, and they shook. It had been so long since a man had cared this much about her, that she didn't know how to deal with it, other than to smile and nod, not wanting to look into Jack's eyes anymore, because now it made her want to break down right in front of him.

They reluctantly let go, and without another word, Jack bolted from the lobby, leaving Kate where she was.

A single tear fell down her cheek as she turned to the elevators, stuffing the card into her pocket, Jack's face all too clear in her mind.

XXX

A/N: Do not worry, there is still much more to come! And, on a bad note, I'm sorry to say that we have not seen the last of Sarah.

Thanks to **jimmy-barnes-13, simp, Orlando-crazy, CaughtInTheMoment, BrazilianJaterGirl, Shavanda, helaluvE, Peppy87, and Flight815survivor **for reviewing. Y'all make my day! Please let me know what you think of this chappie!


	4. Distance Effects

**Entwined Together**

**Summery**: Jack and Kate meet one night in a bar, one going through a divorce, the other just killed her father. Somehow their lives become entwined, and they discover they aren't as different as they thought. Takes place as if there wasn't a crash.

**Chapter Four: **Distance Effects

XXX

Jack drove back home with a heavy heart. Leaving Kate at the hotel alone just didn't seem right. Especially after what happened the other night. He was a doctor. Maybe if he had told her that, then she might've consented into staying at least one more night. Anything would've been better than what she told herself she had to do.

He often wondered just what it was that caused her to be so distant. Kate Ryan was probably the most interesting woman he had ever met, and he didn't know a thing about her. Other than her name, what had she told him? Or a better question; what had he told her?

Jack was just as much a stranger to Kate as Kate was to Jack. He shouldn't be blaming her for not being straightforward when he didn't make any more of an effort. She knew about Sarah, but at what cost?

It had taken the last of his courage just to go back to his house, knowing it would be empty upon his return. He found himself thinking about all he had told her. He had given her his card with high hopes. Hoping that she would take the hint, and call him periodically to let him know that she was okay. Hoping that she would eventually trust him enough to give him some kind of way to communicate with her, should the need ever arise.

Jack had done many things since dropping Kate off at the hotel in an effort to get his mind off her. He had gone to a bookstore and tried to browse the shelves for something he could wrap his mind around, an easy escape from the constant worry he was sure was coming. But all the browsing did was remind him of Kate even more.

So he thought about going to a movie, but shunned that idea quickly because almost every movie, despite genre, had some sort of romance in it, and he wanted nothing more than to keep that part of his life at bay.

Finally he concluded that there was nothing that could hold up to his high standards of putting his mind off of Kate. So he went home.

It felt strange, different. Almost an empty sort of feel to it. It hadn't felt that way before he had taken Kate to his house, because back when Sarah had first left him, he had sort of liked the fact that the house belonged to him alone. Now he wished he was sharing it again.

What could possibly make him feel this way? He hadn't even known the woman a full day, and already she was consuming his thoughts, having an impact on his actions. He knew he wasn't in love, but there was something there, something undeniable.

He parked his car in its usual space in the driveway, and walked up to the front door, taking his time to unlock it. Once inside he made his way into the spare bedroom, though he didn't know why. In all his years of living there, he had probably only stepped foot in here once or twice, for practical reasons only. He told himself that it was only to tidy up a bit, though he knew the real reason. He just didn't want to admit it to himself, because that would be admitting to feelings he didn't want to have so soon.

If only he had tried harder, made a bigger effort to make her feel more at home. In his mind he made a list of all the things he could've said, _should've _said that would've at least helped him feel better about letting her go. He could've said she was welcome to stay as long as she wanted, that she was always welcome back if she ever needed to. That she had a friend out there if she needed one. Compared to the what-ifs, he didn't make an attempt whatsoever. He acted like a stuck-up rich man who had let someone stay in a room of his too-large house, someone who had needed a place to stay.

Jack knew that this would be a moment he would remember later on, and still visibly flinch every time he let his mind drift back to this particular moment in time.

All of a sudden, the phone rang, unannounced and unwelcome. Annoyed, Jack ran out of the room and by the foot of the stairs where the upstairs wall phone rested.

"Hello?" he croaked, hoping that it was Kate on the other line.

"Hey Jack," the unexpected voice of Sarah had entered his ears, only was it Sarah? The same one who, just an hour before, had come barging inside, all but throwing herself at Kate, accusing Jack of things he'd rather leave unsaid, as if he was the bad guy.

"What do you want?" he snapped, tempted to hang the phone up on her, but he knew that would only bring on another fight, and another confrontation.

Sarah sighed into the phone before answering. "I wanted to let you know that I was sorry," she finally got out.

Jack was speechless. Sorry? She was sorry? Luckily she spared him the action of having to answer right away.

"I was out of line, saying those things…and I wanted to let you know that I actually think that it was a very nice thing to do," she continued.

Jack still remained silent, searching deep into her voice to find some kind of flaw with this new-found sincerity. "You do?" was all he managed, and he wished he could take his words back as soon as he let them out.

"Yeah, I do! It's just that…I was surprised…I come home and you tell me to be quiet because you have somebody upstairs sleeping…it was so sudden!" she pleaded, as though she could give some justification to what she had done.

"Yeah, it was. You'd know about sudden actions, wouldn't you?" Jack threw back at her, not caring if the words hurt her or not because she had hurt him.

Sarah sighed again. "You know I'm sorry about that?"

"Are you? Because every time we spoke during the weeks after you left, all you could do was talk about how happy you were, and how great he was! Did you think that just because you didn't feel anything anymore that I didn't?" he snapped, no longer thinking before he spoke.

Her voice became harder. "Look. I'm trying to apologize, okay? I really am sorry about what I did, and I know that what I did by leaving hurt you. But I didn't have any other way to say it," she explained in her no-nonsense sort of way that Jack had, and still did, found very appealing in her person.

"I didn't just call to apologize to you. I'd also like to apologize to her, for just barging in…"

"Kate's gone."

"What?"

"She left about a half hour ago. Checked herself into a hotel, telling me she couldn't impose like she did," he said coldly, as though it were somehow Sarah's fault that Kate was gone.

"Oh. I would've liked to straighten it out," she said disappointedly, though Jack could make out a hint of relief as well.

"Is that all?" Jack demanded, suddenly wishing he had hung up on her after all, wanting nothing more than to crawl into his bed and sleep the day away.

"Yeah, I guess it is. I'll see you on Thursday," she said, and they hung up without saying goodbye.

Jack clambered into his room, not bothering to change into his pajamas, and fell onto his bed.

XXX

Kate took the elevator to her room, ignoring the few stares of people who probably found it odd that she was carrying nothing more than a backpack at a place like Embassy Suites. She was out of place, and knew that it had been stupid and foolish to take Jack up on his plea to pay for her to spend her nights in someplace other than a moldy motel.

She definitely knew that the standards of her room were higher than anything she had ever seen in her life. It was like living in a mini-apartment. When she first unlocked her door and stepped inside, a sofa greeted her, a TV on the opposite wall, along with an armchair. A sink lay comfortably beside the door leading to the bedroom, along with a mini-fridge. The bedroom held two beds, two closets, and a bathroom that was bigger than her closet back in Iowa had been.

Kate felt like she could move in here, and definitely be set for the rest of her life. She put her backpack on the bed she wouldn't use, and went inside the bathroom, turning on the shower and letting the water heat up. She went back into the other room and turned on the TV. She needed to check up on her status as a fugitive, make sure no one had spotted her recently.

She stripped down and climbed into the shower, the feeling of heaven washing over her. She couldn't remember the last time she had taken a shower as good as this. The last place she had cleaned herself up had been a two-bedroom apartment in desperate need of repairs, but the owners, who had been out at the time, were too poor to care and instead just ignored them.

Kate stayed in the shower for what felt like close to an hour, and only got out when she felt the water cool down. She got out, grabbed the nearest towel, and dried herself off. She put on her only other t-shirt, a light green one, and put on the same pants. Traveling light had its advantages, but those advantages could only go so far.

Noticing a square shape in one of her pockets, she took it out, not remembering what it was. Her heart skipped a beat when she read the name.

Jack Shepard.

And just like that, she remembered that she had never said thank you. He had done so much for her, giving up one of his rooms and giving her some of his hard earned food, and she couldn't even manage a simple thank you. She was disgusted with herself.

So before it even registered in her brain what she was doing, she walked to the phone and picked up the receiver. She dialed Jack's home number, hoping that he would be there.

It rang twice before she heard the busy signal. _Figures, _she thought to herself. Feeling slightly disappointed, she put the receiver back in its respective place, and went back to the TV, figuring that she might as well not feel guilty for wasting Jack's money.

After about five minutes she turned it off, bored with what was on. It was more like she didn't know how to watch it. She had been on the move for so long, never staying in one place for more than a couple of days that she never had time for TV. She had been on the run for so long that she had forgotten how to stay still.

So against her better judgment, she grabbed her stuff and left the hotel, figuring she could at least explore Los Angeles before she could leave, and maybe drop Jack a note before she was forced to leave again. After all, it was the least she could do.

XXX

A/N: Do not worry Jaters, Jack and Kate are going to meet up next chapter, but it isn't to say goodbye…wonder why.

Thanks to X**-Kate-X, nikki-da-latina, BrizilianJaterGirl, toolostforyou, Peppy87, lostfox, Ella Julian, helaluvE, Orlando-crazy, jimmy-barnes-13, skater23, and DarknessBlossoms **for reviewing. Glad y'all still like it! Don't forget to review!


	5. No One Else

**Entwined Together**

**Summery**: Jack and Kate meet one night in a bar, one going through a divorce, the other just killed her father. Somehow their lives become entwined, and they discover they aren't as different as they thought. Takes place as if there wasn't a crash.

**Chapter Four: **No One Else

XXX

Jack opened his eyes with a start. Was that pounding in his ears something only within a dream? Or was it? He cautiously got out of his bed, his heart beating rapidly in his rib cage, beads of sweat coming down his face in nervous rivulets. Or at least that was what it felt like.

He stole a glance at his digital clock by the bed. It was going on seven. He had slept the day away. He also grabbed his cell phone and put it in his pocket, just in case he needed it later.

Slowly he walked down the stairs, the pounding getting louder and louder as he went. When he got to the bottom five steps, he realized that it wasn't just a pounding coming from a random spot in the house.

Someone was at the door. With his heart pumping about ten times faster than it should, he guardedly walked over to the door. When he looked out the peephole to see who exactly was causing the incessant hammering and slow destruction of his only front door, his heart nearly stopped.

It was Kate.

With his courage slowly seeping back into him, he quickly opened the door, just in time because the minute he opened it, she ran inside, nearly causing him to fall in the process. Taken aback but determined, Jack closed the door then turned to face Kate, who was sitting on the sofa, a look of fear taking over her features.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, crossing over to the couch, sitting beside her.

But Kate didn't answer. She was staring at the wall as if it were the most fascinating thing she had ever laid eyes on.

"Kate?" He could feel the fear start to kick in. What in the world had happened to her? And so quickly?

"Please Kate, talk to me. I can't help you if you don't talk to me," Jack pleaded, wishing they didn't need to talk at all; that he could just hold her, and that would make all her troubles and worries go away.

"I'm sorry to just barge in like this, but I had no one else to go to," Kate finally said, her voice small and weak as though it was going to break at any time and she was holding it in.

"I'm here for you. Whatever you need, I'll be here," he replied.

Kate nodded, a grateful smile forming on her face. "Can I just stay here for a while? Until I figure things out? It'll only be temporary, I promise," she asked, hoping he wouldn't ask any questions. She hid her relief when he agreed, no questions asked.

"Thanks. And I'll pay you back for the hotel, I promise," Kate brought up, not quite she if it was the right time or not, but at the same time she didn't want Jack to forget and let her go without it.

But Jack shrugged it off. "Don't worry about it. When I want your money, I'll let you know," he said playfully, giving her a smile in an attempt to make her feel better.

Kate returned it weakly, the memory of what had happened after she had left the hotel still too fresh in her mind.

XXX

Kate went upstairs to the room she had before. She had never felt so good to see a bed before, and she took advantage of it. Jack had told her to make herself at home once before, so why let him down?

She just didn't have the courage to tell him why she had come back. Yeah, it was lucky for her that he hadn't asked, but he would eventually, and then what? What could she possibly tell him? 'Sorry for not telling you sooner, but I'm a wanted fugitive who has been on the run for close to a year now. I dragged you into it because I didn't know at the time that you had a life that could be shattered into a million pieces all because I stepped into your living room.'

If she told him then he'd either turn her in, or he'd kick her out because there was no way in hell that he would ever do anything to get in the way of justice. Maybe she was being too harsh in her judgment, but all her past experiences hadn't taught her any differently, and so that would be the way it remained.

All she wanted to do was sleep and forget anything had ever happened.

When she woke up the next morning, she felt as though someone had drilled a hole in her stomach. Everything that had happened over the past 24 hours were dancing in circles around her head, smothering her to death. She wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and wish them all away.

She got up and went downstairs, the smell of bacon greeting her nose and she followed the scent into the kitchen, where Jack stood behind the stove, his back to Kate, not taking notice in her arrival.

She smiled as she watched him, amazed at the normalcy of this act. It felt like such a long time since she didn't have any worries except whether or not her mother was cooking her least favorite food for dinner. She was almost reduced to tears by the simple act of cooking bacon.

As if he could read her thoughts, Jack turned around, eyes full of concern. He hurried over to Kate, who had seated herself down at the table, trying to conceal her thoughts from him.

"Are you okay? Did you sleep well?" he asked, his hands gently gripping her shoulders as a gesture that he was truly concerned about her.

Kate nodded. "Yeah, too good."

"Then what's wrong?"

She looked up at him in confusion. "Nothing's wrong. I'm still just a little drowsy, that's all," she explained, looking into his eyes, hoping he would buy it.

Jack eyed her suspiciously, but nodded, not quite convinced but he let it go. She would tell him whatever she was hiding from him when she was ready.

He put an egg and two strips of bacon on a plate and put it in front of Kate, who eagerly went to work on eating it, not realizing just how hungry she had been. Jack sat down across from her, not eating anything since his hunger had dissipated when he had been awoken by Kate's desperate banging on his door.

Kate, taking notice of this, tried to laugh it off. "Are you just going to watch me eat?" she asked after swallowing some bacon.

Jack didn't respond, though he knew he was giving his answer to her just by making eye contact with her. He finally shrugged and turned away. "I'm just trying to figure it out," he said, as though he had answered every question with this one statement.

"Figure what out?" Kate asked quietly, the fear settling back in. Did he know?

"How it feels as though we've known each other forever. I mean, it hasn't even been two days since we met at that bar, and already I feel as if I can talk to you about things I could never tell my wife," he admitted, looking at his hands, feeling slightly guilty about this admission.

Kate laughed, grateful that he hadn't said what she had been almost certain that he would've.

"I only mean that…I don't know…I feel like I can talk to you, you know? Like I can relate to you on some level," he said, then blushed and let out a light laugh. "I know that sounds silly and weird, but…"

"No, it's not weird. I kind of feel the same way," she confessed.

Jack smiled. "I know it doesn't make any sense."

Kate shrugged. "Since when has anything made any sense?"

"You have a point there," he said and they both shared a laugh.

"Well, do you want to watch a movie or something? Or do you want to go out somewhere? You mentioned something about wanting to explore the city, or something like that," Jack offered.

"I'd rather stay here, if you don't mind. Watching a movie sounds real good right now," she said.

Jack nodded. "Movie it is. Any preference?" he asked.

Kate shook her head. "Not really," she answered, taking her plate to the sink then following him into the living room. Jack went to a rack sitting in the corner that she noticed was full of movies. He bent down, searching for the right one that they both would watch. She told him preferably a comedy, but anything would be good.

"Except westerns. I hate westerns," she told him.

But when Jack brought up the movie Charades, Kate nodded eagerly. "It's been so long since I've seen that," she had said, excited at the prospect of watching a childhood favorite.

Jack concealed a grin, loving the look she got when she got excited about something. It was just something about her that he genuinely liked. He put it in the DVD player, and sat beside her on the white sofa.

Throughout the movie Kate would laugh at the appropriate places, and jump or gasp at all the sudden twists of the plot, or when someone else died. Jack smiled every time this happened. When he had watched this movie with Sarah, all she had done was sit through it as though she were bored, and she had always had a distracted expression on her face as though she were thinking about something else.

With Kate, it was just the opposite. Jack didn't think she could be any more into it than she already was. She appreciated everything about it, and smiled whenever Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant got together and exchanged smart remarks to each other, or when he gave her yet another false name.

When it was over, Kate looked slightly disappointed. "Thank you."

"Thanks for what?" Jack asked as he put the movie back.

"I never said thank you for everything you did for me, and I wanted to do it before I forgot," she explained.

Jack shrugged. "It would be rude of me not to," he replied.

And with that, a new-found understanding had been created between them, their friendship strengthened, and their relationship thickened, ready for the tough times that were coming.

XXX

A/N: I don't know whether I liked it or not. It was my first attempt at writing Jate fluff, and I'm not exactly sure I like the outcome. All I can say is that I hoped you liked it, because there will be a lot more angst to come.

Thanks to **BrizilianJaterGirl, jimmy-barnes-13, toolostforyou, simp, lostfox, EllaJulian, xoxJateIsFatexox, x-kate-x, Orlando-crazy, Peppy87, DarknessBlossoms, and IrishJateFan **for reviewing. No matter how many times I say it, I can never truly express how much your kind comments mean to me! Please review this because like I said, it's my first attempt at fluff.


	6. Discovery

**Entwined Together**

**Summery**: Jack was the doctor leading the seemingly perfect life. Kate was the independent woman running from the law. Both had baggage, had flaws, but when they meet one lonely night in a bar, their lives become entwined, almost as if fate brought them together.

**Chapter Six: **Discovery

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Jack felt as if his knees were going to buckle. His ladder had never been the sturdiest thing he had owned, but it had always done him well, up until this point. He had never really liked the mini-chandelier that hung from the ceiling in his living room so he had never used it, with the exception of the first five months that he and Sarah had lived here.

But Kate was the one who had pointed out that she thought it was beautiful, and that it was too bad it no longer worked. Jack knew that she hadn't said it in that whiny way women sometimes did to get what they want; she was simply stating a fact. Which was why he was fixing it in the first place.

He still didn't understand what it was about Kate that made him want to please her. Every time she said something or did something all he wanted to do was listen and comply. He hoped the act wasn't coming off as too clingy or eager to please, though he could see nothing wrong with the latter.

Kate had gone upstairs to take a shower, and he had decided that it would be a good idea to fix it for her. Just a nice little surprise that would make him see that beautiful smile she had. Jack didn't think Kate realized just how beautiful her smile was.

The problem was that he hadn't touched the damn thing for close to five years, and wasn't very good with heights, and he didn't have all the right kind of bulbs to place in there. She would just have to settle with only half of it working.

Pleased that it had actually turned on, he quickly climbed down the ladder and placed it back in the storage shed that was in the backyard. Since Kate was still in the shower, he decided to watch some TV until she came out.

Kate had only been in the shower for twenty minutes, which was a nice change from the hour long ones Sarah had always taken. She would just waste all the hot water, then complain that they never had enough. Sometimes he wondered why they had even taken their vows in the first place. They were as different as night and day.

"Hey," Jack said over his shoulder, smiling when he saw her. She was back in her black tank top.

"Hey yourself. You fixed it," she pointed out, taking in the half-lit chandelier with understandable like.

"Yeah, only a little. If you want we could go out, maybe get two more so that it can be properly lit, and you could get some more clothes, if you want," Jack said, hoping he had eased into that conversation enough that she might say yes.

Kate frowned. "I sort of like it like that. Not too dark, but not too bright either," she said, putting her brush to her wet wavy hair, turning away from him.

"Well, at least let me take you so that you can have more than two shirts and two pairs of pants," Jack offered.

Kate didn't reply. She didn't really know how to without exposing herself.

"Please," he pleaded.

"Why? Why do you care so much?" Kate suddenly burst out, turning on him without warning.

Taken aback for only a moment, Jack's face suddenly became harder. "I would've thought that was obvious. It's just a simple offer."

"I don't need you to tell me what I should and shouldn't do. I can take care of myself," she said more calmly, though there was still bitterness that all but dripped from her voice.

"Alright, we won't go anywhere. But can you at least tell me why? Only the other day you were telling me how much you wanted to go out and explore the city, maybe even find a job. Now you just want to stay cooped inside my house all day and you jump down my throat every time I even give the hint of suggesting to leave, if only for a couple hours. What happened?"

"What?"

"What happened back at the hotel that changed you so much?" Jack demanded.

Kate's eyes dropped down to the floor. "Nothing," she muttered, and made to go into the kitchen, but Jack's hand gripping her wrist stopped her.

"What happened, Kate?"

"Nothing, okay? I didn't get hurt, mugged, maimed, raped, anything like that. Nothing happened, so please just let it go!" she snapped, trying to get out of Jack's grasp.

He let go hesitantly, but he knew she was keeping something from him. Something she desperately didn't want him to know.

Glaring at him, she went upstairs, and Jack couldn't necessarily blame her. Maybe it was none of his business, or nothing really happened, but there was something there that had scared Kate enough to make her leave that hotel and go back to him. He needed to know what it was.

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Kate knew she was slipping. Jack was suspicious and it was only a matter of time before he found out what it was. She should've never agreed to let Jack take her to his house. Then she could've been out of this lousy city. She had always managed to get by before. She had always done okay considering the circumstances. What was so different now?

Ever since her mother had brought home Wayne and seen what he did to her day in and day out, she had promised herself that that wouldn't be her. She wouldn't let herself grow dependent on a man, no matter how much she loved him. Because once you become dependent, the man notices, and uses it to his advantage in one way or another.

Kate had done her best not to become reliant, but that was becoming difficult with each passing day that Kate stayed in Jack's house. Her worst mistake had been coming back. When she had been recognized, she should've just kept a low profile in the shadows of the town like she always did. But because of Jack and his constant efforts to get her to come back, she felt like she had a security blanket of sorts.

There was really only one logical action left in her mind, and that was the action that she had sworn by practically her whole life.

She needed to run away.

It wasn't like Jack would really miss her. No matter what he said, she felt like she had been nothing but a burden to him, even through his insisting that she wasn't. But he had plenty of worries already without adding hers into the mix. She knew he was going through a divorce, and what could be more stressful than that?

Besides, if she got caught, there was no way she could let Jack go down with her. The longer she stayed in his house, the bigger the chance got that she would be spotted, and when the police came barging into his house all because some nosy neighbor had seen her and recognized, what was she going to say? How could she even begin to explain everything to him? He would never forgive her, and that was just something she couldn't stand.

An unexpected knock came from her door, making her jump slightly. "Kate? Can I come in?" Jack asked, his voice slightly muffled.

"Sure."

He slowly opened the door, then went to sit beside her on the bed. "I know it isn't any of my business and I shouldn't force you to tell me if you don't want to. I don't know…I guess I'm saying that I really don't care. I don't care why you came to be this way. I'm ready for anything, and if you ever decide to confide in me, I want you to know that you can. Don't be afraid to let me in, because everybody needs someone to talk to, to confide in. Even if you don't have anyone else, you do have me. I'm sorry I was so demanding downstairs," he told her.

The more Jack said, the more Kate wanted to break down and just confess it all to him. So desperately she wanted to relieve the weight of everything she had done off her shoulders, maybe give some of it to someone else who was so willing to listen like Jack was. But he had no idea what he was saying. He could say he was ready for anything, but Kate knew he would accept her problems.

"Thanks, but I can't. Not yet."

Jack nodded. "That's fine. Whenever you are, I'll be here."

" Thanks, Jack. And you know, you could go out for a while, do all those things you suggested before. I could stay here, maybe fix some dinner…" she suggested, glad to be changing the subject.

"You know how to cook?" Jack asked, amused.

"Surprised?" Kate faked shock.

"No. I just…"

Kate smiled. "Act any more surprised and I might get offended. I'll show you. I might even prove to you that I'm a better cook than you."

"Oh really? What are you saying, you don't like my cooking?" Jack asked, his smile getting bigger, though he was trying not to laugh.

"No, not at all. I'm just saying I could surprise you with mine," she explained.

This time Jack laughed. "We'll see. I'll be back in a few hours, which should be plenty of time for you to fix something up. Then we'll see who the better cook is," he said, grabbing his keys and turning to leave.

"It's a deal!" Kate called after him. Then she went into the kitchen, seeing what he had that she could make.

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Two hours later Kate was putting two plates of chicken parmesan down on the table when Jack entered the house. He was carrying a bag from Kmart, and three bags from various clothing stores LA.

"I really hope you didn't go out of your way, I don't want anything too expensive," Kate said, seeing the bags Jack had brought inside.

"I didn't know your size, so I just guessed. I hope I got it right, though, but if not I can always exchange them," he explained, ignoring her comment and watching her as she looked inside them, apparently pleased with what she saw.

"Well, you guessed right. Dinner's on the table," she said, leaving the bags where Jack had put them and went to the all too familiar dining table.

"Chicken parmesan?" he questioned.

"What, don't like it?" she teased.

"No, I do. I just haven't had it in so long," he pointed out, cutting a piece of the chicken and tasting it. Kate watched in amusement as he took another piece, and had eventually devoured the whole thing.

"You always manage to surprise me, Kate. That was really good," he said when they were finished.

"I knew you'd like it," Kate stated obviously.

They sat there for a few minutes in silence, taking in each other's presence. Then Jack got up and took the plates to the sink. He'd just do them tomorrow.

"I'm going to try on the clothes you bought," Kate said, getting up and taking the bags upstairs.

Jack didn't say anything. He went in the living room and turned on the news. It was always the same thing. Crisis in the middle east, growing threat of hurricanes, hot as hell weather. Then the last thing he ever expected to see on the news.

"And in other news, wanted fugitive Katherine Austen has been spotted in Los Angeles. She was spotted in front of an Embassy Suites when she was spotted and confronted, but has since gotten away. She is wanted for the murder of Wayne Jansen back in Iowa, if you have any information, please call…."

Jack couldn't hear anymore. All he could do was stare at the face on the screen before him. The face he had come to love. Kate's face.

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A/N: So a chapter I actually like! That's a first! Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out later this week, but no promises with school and all.

Thanks to **SoInLuv, Orlando-crazy, jimmy-barnes-13, X-Kate-X, Ella Julian, iamlOst815, Peppy87, DarknessBlossoms, and IrishJateFan **for reviewing! Please review this chapter, I'm quite anxious to hear your thoughts on it.


	7. Hidden Feelings

**Entwined Together**

**Summery**: Jack was the doctor leading the seemingly perfect life. Kate was the independent woman running from the law. Both had baggage, had flaws, but when they meet one lonely night in a bar, their lives become entwined, almost as if fate brought them together.

**Chapter Eight: **Hidden Feelings

* * *

Jack had never felt more at a loss than he did just then. He didn't know whether to confront Kate or leave it alone. He didn't want to believe she did what that the reporter accused her of. Somehow in his mind he couldn't see her as a dangerous murderer. Kate, who had come to his house as a last resort full of fear and desperation. Murderers aren't afraid, at least they weren't supposed to be, because then they wouldn't be in control.

The thing he couldn't wrap his mind around was why she had been so willing and ready to go with him to his house at the bar that night. Why would she do that if she was running from the law? Because there was always that off chance that he had already seen her on the news.

Jack found himself wondering who Wayne Jansen was, and why Kate had allegedly killed him. Was he related to her? Was he her husband who had knocked her around one too many times? Or was he just a random stranger who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time?

He was astonished at how many questions were taking over his free thinking. None of them implied that she was innocent. All of them were based on the assumption of guilt. And Jack hated himself for it. But at the same time it was the only thing that made any sense because why else would they be after her? And why else would she run?

Jack turned his attention to the staircase that now represented the rest of his life. If he indeed confronted her, then she would get scared or possibly angry that he now knew, and would run again. Or, if he let it slide then she would keep assuming he was still in the dark, and he didn't know if he could handle the lie that would grow bigger and bigger between them until it kept them so far apart that they couldn't no longer communicate, or even see who the other was anymore. No matter how he looked at it, he was destined to lose.

_That must've been why she came back. All she wanted to do was get away but someone must've recognized her. _The bitter truth in that statement that had formed in his mind nearly brought tears to his eyes. She wasn't kidding when she said she had nowhere else to go. Nowhere else to go except prison.

He knew that if she came down those stairs right now that his undying frustration would be brought into light, and that there would be nothing he could do, or would do to stop it. Not just the unavoidable truth, but everything that had led up to this day. His never-ending stress from the hospital, the divorce that was coming up, but most of all, Kate.

So Jack did the only thing he could do in his mind. He would just let it go. When she was ready to tell him, she would. The time just wasn't right. Besides, he wasn't exactly sure that he was ready to see her leave.

When she muttered a "hello Jack" he nearly jumped a foot in the air as he was shocked from his seat. He tried to shrug it off, saying a quick "Hey Kate" back at her, but he could tell from her amused expression that she wasn't buying it.

"What's with you?" she asked, taking a seat in the previously occupied sofa.

"Nothing. Did they fit okay?" he asked as casually as he could muster, trying to ease away from that particular conversation.

Kate nodded. "A bit big, but they'll do."

"Good."

"Are you okay?" Kate asked, and Jack hated how surprised he was at the amount of concern in her voice.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just have a headache, that's all," he lied, but he knew just by looking at her that she wasn't buying it.

Fortunately for him, she let it go, and an awkward silence followed. Jack found himself overcome by an sudden urge to leave his house. He wanted nothing more than to take his car keys, leave Kate, and just drive wherever the hell the car took him. He wanted to get away from the stress building up inside him, and it only got worse every time he looked at Kate.

"I'm going to go out for a while," he stated before it even registered what he was doing. His legs pulled him out of his seat and took him over to the table where the car keys resided.

Kate followed suit and stood up, her face screwed up in confusion, but Jack could read some understanding hidden somewhere as well. "Where are you going?" she asked quietly, her arms crossed. She looked down at the floor, and he wondered for a second whether she knew that he knew about her. A part of him believed she did, and this knowledge just made him want to leave even more.

"I don't know. Somewhere where I can get rid of this headache. You don't have to come," he explained, hoping she wouldn't get the wrong idea. He could tell already that she was feeling a bit hurt by his announcement that he was leaving.

"Will you be long?"

"No, I shouldn't be more than a couple of hours. Just make yourself at home, and don't wait up for me. Please," he urged, staring deep into her eyes, hoping he could find an answer, some sort of explanation for her actions, but he found none, not to his surprise.

Kate nodded, and Jack felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Well, I'm going. I won't be long," he said one last time, then left, the Mercedes never so welcoming as it was just then.

* * *

Kate knew something was wrong the minute she was downstairs. Jack was so tense…it wasn't like him. All of a sudden he was just a wreck, and Kate felt like she was watching him crumble right before her eyes.

He downplayed it though, probably for her benefit. He pretended like nothing was wrong, and Kate didn't push him because he wouldn't tell her. Well, he wouldn't tell her until the time was right.

And for some reason, him leaving, saying he was going out because he needed to find someplace to get rid of his headache. Personally, she saw nothing wrong with his house, as it was big and quiet. Much too quiet for a house of that size.

She found herself wondering if his wife, or ex-wife, had called him. She knew that communication with someone you still loved could hurt. But the phone never rang.

Then a horrible thought occurred to her. What if he knew? She didn't know how that was possible, but there was always that possibility, wasn't there? With every passing day that she spent in his house, the probability that he would find out only grew bigger, and with its size, so did its weight. She knew that if she didn't do something soon, she would be crushed, and then there would be no lifting it. It would always be there.

And now she found herself with nothing to do. Back before she had met Jack, during her early years on the run, she used to pray for an empty house, maybe stay a couple nights, find some spare cash she knew that they wouldn't know would go missing. And she even had her lucky days, but most of the time there was nothing. Now that she had an empty house that was definitely full of things she could take and sell, or just take for her survival, she hesitated.

It was because she couldn't betray Jack. The minute she saw him, she knew that he was the kind of man who would take betrayal very hard. Sensitive, if you will. Every time she tried to convince herself that today would be the day that she would leave, she would remember looking into those gorgeous big brown eyes, and her heart would melt. She just couldn't do it.

She settled down into Jack's abandoned seat and turned on the TV. He had been watching the news. Nothing that wasn't normal. Who didn't watch the news? She flipped through the channels, desperate for something to take her mind off of matters. But, as luck would have it, nothing was on, so she was reduced to looking through Jack's DVD collection in the hopes that there would be something worthy of paying attention to for two hours. She settled on Breakfast at Tiffany's, something that was a breather, and that she didn't have to think about. She had seen it too many times to count.

When that was over, Jack hadn't returned yet. Not quite feeling in the mood to watch another movie, she stood up and turned her attention to the bookshelves. Jack seemed the type to appreciate good literature, and she wasn't disappointed. All the classics were there, plus a few recent authors, mostly Stephen King and Nora Roberts. She hid a smile as she passed a few of her stuff. _Must've belonged to his wife, _she figured, and picked up Atlas Shrugged. It was pretty thick, but at least that way she wouldn't finish it and still be worried about Jack. Not that she was worried. She had known him less than a week; she had no right to question his reasons.

And then the guilt started to come back. He always refused to admit it, promising her that she wasn't, but Kate wasn't fooled. She was burdening him, whether he even knew it or not. Her presence was getting to him, however positively or negatively. She was stifling him.

She shook her head and pushed the thoughts out of her mind, focusing instead on the book. She would just read, forget about Jack, and wait until he came back before she went to sleep.

But it didn't work out that way. By the time Jack returned around midnight, he found Kate asleep on the couch, the thickest book he owned strewn across her chest, forgotten as she had most likely unintentionally drifted asleep, waiting up for him. He shook his head, amused by the sight in front of him, and went to the hall closet and pulled out a light blue blanket. He slowly removed the book and placed it on the coffee table. She stirred, but didn't wake up. Jack gently placed the blanket on top of her and turned off the lights and, with one last look behind him, went upstairs.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this took so long. With school and all. Today was a half day and the only chance I've gotten so far to write. Hopefully it didn't disappoint. Thanks to **lalalander, X-Kate-X, Ella Julian, kickflipchick, IrishJateFan, SoInLuv, jimmy-barnes-13, Peppy87, and Orlando-crazy **for reviewing. Please review! 


	8. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**Entwined Together**

**Summery**: Jack was the doctor leading the seemingly perfect life. Kate was the independent woman running from the law. Both had baggage, had flaws, but when they meet one lonely night in a bar, their lives become entwined, almost as if fate brought them together.

**Chapter Eight: **One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

* * *

The next morning brought a feeling of uncertainty in the air. It nearly choked Jack as he woke up. As he tiredly crawled out of his bed, he tried desperately to remember what it was, but found nothing coming to mind. He knew it wasn't the divorce hearing because that wasn't until Thursday, and it was only Monday.

Shit, that's what it was. It was Monday, and that meant he had to go back to the hospital. But he didn't want to leave Kate at the house alone during the day because he knew that once a patient went in for surgery that it would consume him. It was what lost him Sarah. He didn't want to lose Kate when he didn't even have a chance to start to have her.

With a reluctant sigh, he shuffled into the bathroom where he took a quick shower, shaved so that only a little stubble remained, then dressed in his usual attire of expensive professional suit with his white doctor's coat in his arms. Once downstairs he silently moved into the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar that he would eat on his way to the hospital.

On his way out the front door, he caught sight of Kate lying on the couch in the same position he had left her. He contemplated whether or not he should wake her up to tell her he was leaving, because if he didn't then she would think he never came home last night. He could always write her a note and leave it somewhere that he knew she would find it, so as not to disturb her what looked like peaceful sleep.

Making up his mind, he went to the table that held all the pictures of him and Sarah, and opened the drawer farthest to the left. He took out a small tablet and ripped out the first piece of paper and a pencil and scribbled a quick note and left it on the coffee table on top of the book she had been reading. Feeling slightly better that he would have to worry about Kate now, he unlocked the door, grabbed his keys, and drove away.

Once there, he parked in his usual spot and made the hike up to his office where, unsurprisingly, a mountain of papers waited on his desk, as if taunting him. He ran his hands through his short hair, forgetting it wasn't long enough to have any effect. His workload never dwindled; it was as simple as that.

A knock at his office door caused Jack to look up before he could even begin to glance at the first form. It was one of the doctors, and his best friend, Marc Silverman.

"How was your weekend, Jack?" he asked, taking a seat in one of the chairs opposite Jack's desk.

"Uneventful. Sarah showed up for a couple minutes Saturday morning, wanting some of her stuff, but other than that it was just me," Jack said, figuring it was best if he left out the part where he took home a stranger from a bar who was still at his house.

"You two getting along?" Marc asked sympathetically.

Jack shook his head. "Not really." He nearly welcomed the sudden announcement that he was needed in the ER.

"Well, I'm here for you, if you need anybody, okay?"

Jack didn't bother to reply as he left his office, the need to focus his attention on something else never so timely as it was just then. He left his friend sitting there and went down to the ER as fast as his legs could carry him.

* * *

The blanket that covered her sleeping form had been discarded to the floor. Kate felt herself waking up, but she was still fully engulfed in her nightmare. It didn't want to let her go back to reality; it wanted to keep her hostage in its own world. All she could see was _his _face, slowly creeping up on her. It grew bigger and bigger with every passing moment, and Kate knew that if she couldn't get herself out that it would haunt her for the rest of the day.

When her eyes opened, she didn't realize it at first. The dream hadn't quite left her yet, and she thought that the bookshelf, TV, coffee table, everything that surrounded her was still in her mind. But then she remembered the events of the past three days, and let herself breathe a sigh of relief.

She leaned down and pulled the blanket from the white carpet and placed it beside her on the couch. At least she knew Jack had come back. But her hopes of talking to him were put on hold as she read the note that was obviously left for her to find.

_Kate,_

_I had to go in to work today at the hospital. I should be back around six, but I can't promise you anything. Sometimes the surgeries last up to five hours, so I'll get home when I can. Make yourself some dinner, I'll get something on my way back. See you later. _

_Jack_

Jack was a doctor? He wouldn't be home until six? It was only eight in the morning now.

Kate knew she should've felt indifferent to the note. What did it matter to her when he came back? They had only met three days ago. They were practically strangers. It wasn't like he had to explain himself to her. Why should she care that he wouldn't be back until evening?

She stood up after placing the note back on the coffee table and went upstairs to her room and went for her bag of clothes. She put on a lavender t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans that fit remarkably well. Kate couldn't help but wonder whether or not he had had practice in guessing a woman's size just by looking at her. His ex sure looked like the type who expected gifts at every opportunity. She hoped that wasn't too harsh.

After she changed she went into the kitchen and tried to pull her mind away from the fact that she was technically stealing, and grabbed a banana from Jack's fruit bowl. When she finished it she went back into the living room and realized that she was bored with nothing to do. With it being a Monday, all that was on TV was soap operas, and she figured that she didn't need to add any more drama in her life.

So what else was there to do? She contemplated going back out, trying her luck with the non-working crowd. All the kids were in school, and most of the adults, save the retired, unemployed, or the others who just didn't want to work, were working. Maybe if she tied up her hair into a bun or something, grabbed a pair of sunglasses she knew were in one of the drawers in the bedroom that Jack had declared hers during her stay, then she could actually go without being recognized. Assuming no one would see through her façade.

With that tiny glimmer of hope answering all of her doubts, she went upstairs before she could change her mind. Once her hair was up in a bun, and the sunglasses firmly covering her eyes, she decided to leave everything else behind, and left.

Every step she took reassured her that all the worry consuming her every thought was for nothing. She would be fine as long as she didn't draw attention to herself. The incident at the hotel had forced her to hide within herself, and she considered this little walk therapeutic. She almost felt rejuvenated. Maybe she could even make it to the hospital to surprise Jack and sort of get whatever suspicions he had about her disappear.

But she knew that was out of the question. He had mentioned something about surgery, and for all she knew he was in one already, and the last thing he needed was some nurse calling him to his office just because she wanted to brag about herself.

No, it could wait.

All the same, she was feeling a bit adventurous. Maybe she could go somewhere a little populated, like the mall and just mesh in with everybody else and pretend for a while that she belonged here.

* * *

Jack thrust his fist into the nearest locker. He had had it! Just one simple stitch, and he would've been fine! The collapse of his lung shouldn't have been overlooked. It was an egregious mistake; one that shouldn't have happened.

The doctors that filed in after him gave him uncomfortable glances, but left him alone, not wanting to be the one he took his frustration and anger out on. They knew that when he lost a patient that he could be damn near unbearable at times, and they had learned quickly to just let him cool off by himself.

The only person who dared tried to take Jack's mind away from his self punishment was his father who, unfortunately, had the day off. Sometimes Marc Silverman would make an attempt, but they swiftly turned futile in a matter of minutes.

Jack knew they were all watching him, waiting to see what his first move would be. He paid them no heed, however. He was too focused in on the disastrous surgery of the thirty-year-old man who had fallen from his fourth-story apartment while foolishly leaning over the balcony to yell something to his girlfriend, who no one could seem to find. All that was according to the EMTs who had rushed him over.

He took off his surplice and mask and hastily threw them in his locker and left without another word to his office, dreading the paperwork that greeted him about the unsuccessful surgery. But it was unavoidable. He'd have to do it sooner or later, plus it gave him an excuse not to talk to anyone.

Paper after paper, signature, details surrounding the events of the surgery, signature, signature, and he was finished, drained of energy, emotion, and all feeling, it felt like. As he leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes trying to get rid of his exhaustion, Marc came in, looking as bad as Jack felt.

"Hey," he greeted sadly, hesitation detectable in the one simple word. Jack could sense it, but he decided he wouldn't talk about it.

"Hey," he repeated.

"You okay?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah. I, uh, just finished with these, so if you'll put these on my father's desk so he can look them over, I'd really appreciate it," he explained, indicating the sheets of paper that sat in front of them.

Marc gave him a once-over, before starting again. "You should go home and get some rest. You look drained, man," he stated obviously, hoping for once that Jack would actually take him up on his advice.

Jack nodded. "I was actually going to head on out as soon as I left these on his desk. I figure it's better to let him deal with it," he said, waving of his friend's words as though they were nothing.

Luckily for him, Marc didn't argue. "Good. I'm sure if you got a good night's sleep that you'll feel better in the morning. Don't overwork yourself, you know how you get when you do," he pointed out.

Jack didn't respond. "Lock the door on your way out, okay?" he didn't bother to wait for a response as he left with the surgery papers, leaving Marc where he was.

* * *

A/N: I don't actually know what Marc Silverman does in the actual show, so I just made him a doctor. It doesn't really matter. Next chapter will focus more on Kate. Hope it didn't disappoint!

Thanks to **TBrennenFan, Orlando-crazy, PerriwinkleRose, SoInLuv, jimmy-barnes-13, X-Kate-X, kickflipchick, Ella Julian, Peppy87, and DarknessBlossoms **for reviewing! I can't say that enough. Please review!


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